This time it was all really happening. Dean checked that this wasn't just another dream. God, how could his brain come up with all of that? And how could he believe that bullshit? Seth and Cassie? What would Seth even do there?

Finally Dean felt relieved. The building he was about to enter looked nothing like the one his brain made up. But – the worries returned – the way he had dealt with Cassie stayed the same. He was unfair to her and obviously used her. He really owed her an apology, to say the least.

The room was crowded. The music was so fucking loud that he couldn't hear himself think.

"Levi," Dean called. "Levi," he shouted it to increase the chances of it being heard.

"Dean," he got a cheerful response. Levi waved to show Dean the way out of the jungle.

They found a somewhat quiet place by the wall, close to the table with different kinds of cakes on it. Levi took a chair from the nearest table and then drew another one for Dean. Dean refused to sit down, though. "I'll stay only for a moment."

"Come on, the party is only getting started."

"I shouldn't be here anyway."

"Why not?"

"It took too much effort to get Renee to let me come, and don't see it as a betrayal or something. And to make it worse, I had this dream – foreboding – that this will not end well."

"You think about it too much," Levi replied. Feeling strange standing while Levi was sitting, Dean sat down too. Levi continued, "This is supposed to be a happy event, right? Why should you worry?"

"I don't worry. Especially not about Josh's wedding. I wouldn't worry about anything else either. It's just that I spent too much time listening to Renee and Seth, talking to me about how bad it was that I still hang out with Cassie. And that I should think about what I've done or what." Dean sounded annoyed talking about it now. "I want a break from it all. They all tell me that I should feel guilty, and – putting all those thoughts in my mind – now I do feel guilty."

"Guilty?" Levi asked, his voice sarcastic. "Because of keeping in touch with my sister?"

"Yes and no. I don't know." Dean accepted a glass of champagne that Levi offered him. He drank it before continuing. "I feel bad ending it between us. When I think that it's for good," Dean cut it short.

"Look, Dean, this is your decision." Levi was already looking for another glass of alcohol. He'd prefer something stronger this time.

"Yeah, well, it's not really." Levi was not listening to him anymore. He stood up and searched for a shot of brandy or something. And Dean had no reason to stay there. Alone again, the scene reminded him of that dream. Cassie nowhere in sight . . . at least he wouldn't find her kissing Seth. God, that image popped up in his mind again. Disgusting. How did he come with that anyway? Was it because Cassie was always so psyched about Seth and when Seth talked to Dean, the topic of Cassie often came up? It didn't really matter, it's just that Dean couldn't let go of that part of the dream so easily.

It was so incredibly difficult to find her. Levi was happy in a company of some girl, now with a glass in his hand. And Josh . . . Dean spotted him in the distance, obviously laughing at something he'd been told by a friend. The bride was away from him, and she looked nothing like in Dean's dream. No veil, hair in an updo, dress less pompous. The dress wasn't even absolutely white, but why was he noticing those details? Great, she saw him looking at her. She smiled. It was too late to look away; she was already walking toward him.

"Alone in here?" she asked, flirting with him. Then she looked to both sides and evidently gave a signal to her friends because soon Dean found himself surrounded by bridesmaids. Dean felt strangely uncomfortable. It was wonderful to be around beautiful women, but at the same time it was frustrating to not be able to do anything about it.

Dean smiled, but then said, "Ladies, please excuse me." He stopped at the director of this parade. "Don't."

"Feeling tempted?"

Josh appeared from behind and kissed the bride. "Don't tease him, my love." He tied fingers with her.

But the bridesmaids stayed and each made a confident step toward Dean. They created a circle, and he was in the middle of it.

"Sorry, buddy," Josh apologized, "I can't control this."

It felt good for Dean, although he wanted it to stop. It was a temptation, but it was clear to all who were present that nothing would happen at the end.

The bride said to Dean, "Pick one and take her to dance." That couldn't do any harm, Dean thought to himself. He looked around to see all the options. The selection was great but why to settle for a bridesmaid?

Without asking for permission from her husband, Dean left the circle of women in short white dresses and took the hand of one in the dress of ivory cream color, with one-shoulder strap. He didn't remember her name – he never needed to know it – but he liked her. She looked good and she was an excellent dancer. "I want the best," Dean told her.

But she did look at Josh and wanted to know if it would be okay if she danced with Dean. Josh nodded; he wasn't a jealous type.

The music that was playing wasn't like the one in his dream either. The songs were rarely slow and never serenades. He hadn't heard a single pop song, when he thought about it. Finally something enjoyable.

"What's your name?" Dean asked. He felt strange dancing with someone whose name he didn't even know.

She laughed. "You're at my wedding and you don't know who I am."

"I know who you are. I just don't know your name."

"It was on the invitation."

"I never got one."

"Then I guess you shouldn't be here," she jokingly replied. She lifted her dress so that he wouldn't accidentally step on it.

"Why don't you tell me your name?" Dean wouldn't leave it.

"I don't know yours and I'm fine with it. Besides, we both know that you won't be around for long so –"

"I'm not dying," Dean didn't get her remark.

"I know that you're not dying. I mean that you are ending your friendship with Josh's sister."

"Ending our friendship," Dean repeated. "Gosh, that sounds horrible."

"It also is, don't you think? Who does those thinks intentionally anyway? I've never made it a plan. Like, from next Monday we're no longer friends."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"How would you define what you're doing then?"

Before Dean could answer – if he had something to say to that at all – the song was over. Somebody else demanded a dance with the bride, whose name stayed unknown to Dean.

Dean left the dance floor. He decided to join Josh and Levi, who seemed to be having a drinking contest. If the goal was to get wasted, Dean wouldn't mind.

"Dean," Levi shouted from afar. He took a glass and stretched his arm to hand it to Dean, although he still wouldn't get to them for a few seconds. Meanwhile, Levi drank one shot and so did Josh. "Come, come," Levi hurried him.

He had one, two shots, but he'd be far behind those two even if he had four in a row. Still, the celebration was only getting started for them.

"I think your wife doesn't like me very much," Dean told Josh.

"What are you talking about? She loves you."

"Nah. But she has a point," admitted Dean. "What I'm doing to Cassie is wrong on so many levels. God, she's gotta be pissed."

Levi laughed. Then he shared a sarcastic look with his older brother. They were far from being worried. "Cassie isn't your regular girl. She won't get angry at you that easily. She had the best possible upbringing. Four brothers. She learned that cry or getting offended isn't the way. She learned to strike back. Which got her into trouble before," Levi reflected.

Josh continued, because Levi was getting off the track. "That's irrelevant now. Look, Dean, Cassie knew this day would come. She has already made her peace with the situation."

"What trouble?" Dean was curious.

"You know, the assault."

"What assault?" This was the first time Dean heard of it.

"If Cassie never told you about it, we shouldn't," Josh said, hoping to prevent his brother to reveal something that was supposed to stay hidden from Dean.

"But –"

"That just proves that your letting her go won't break her. She's been through worse."

"Did someone attack her?" asked Dean.

"No," Levi laughed. "She did." He sounded proud. "At least you can be sure that as long as she doesn't hit you you're okay. If you find yourself with a black eye though, you really pissed her off."

Levi poured himself and the other two another drink.

Dean wondered. "Are you serious, or was it a boxing accident?"

"It really happened," Josh agreed with what his brother had been saying. "But also it was the end of her boxing career, if ever there could be any."

"She said she chose law to boxing."

Levi chuckled. He was amused. "Chose?" he repeated sarcastically. "She was made to stop boxing. Professionally at least."

Josh ended it, "Enough about my little sister. You're forgetting to drink." He pointed at the full glass in front of Dean.

"Okay, one more," Dean agreed. He needed to talk to her, and he had to be sober for that. Even if he didn't need to make her forgive him – because, as those two were saying, she wasn't actually angry at him – he felt the obligation to apologize, or try to explain to her why he was letting her go. To get some closure and end it on good terms. To see that she was okay and didn't feel betrayed. After having another shot, Dean spoke again, "So where is she?"

"Who now?"

"Cassie."

"Oh, Cassie's not here," Josh said matter-of-factly.

"What?"

Josh didn't understand why Dean was making such a big deal out of it. "She left right after the ceremony."

"She's seriously not here?"

"No."

"She said she might stop by a little later," Levi said, as if he really believed that she would.

Josh definitely didn't. "Yeah, like she's spending more time than inevitable at a wedding."

"Why did she ask me to come then?" Dean didn't understand her strategy.

"Honestly, Dean, nobody expected you to actually show up," admitted Josh.

"Where is she now? She's still in town, right?" He didn't get a response. Both Josh and Levi were busy. "Guys, stop drinking for a second and answer me. Is she or is she not still in town? I really need to talk to her." Dean took the glasses – as well as the bottle – away from them. "Where could she be?"

"She's at her friend's place." Dean stood up, as if he actually knew now where he'd find her.

"Stay with us," Levi begged. "Celebrate, drink," he got hold of the bottle again.

Josh joined, "She won't leave until tomorrow."

Dean resignedly sat down again. But he didn't plan to stay for much longer. "I need an address."

"No, you need another glass," Josh said and snapped his fingers at Levi.

Dean accepted what Levi had poured him. "Let's make a deal. You give me that address and I'll bring her here."

Josh didn't object. He found a piece of paper and a pen and wrote down the address that Dean had been asking for. "Good luck with that," Josh said and handed Dean the paper.

Dean just mumbled, "It's her brother's wedding, for Christ's sake." Why would somebody choose to skip such event?